Goodbye Germany!

It is going to be really hard to say goodbye to this place.

I have absolutely loved working with these amazing students. So much joy has filled these two years, but not without plenty of challenges.

To close out my time in Germany, I would like to reflect on the things I have learned while serving here.

Ten Things I’ve Learned Serving In Germany: 

1. Middle Schoolers are the best!

They really are. I loved serving this awkward, hormonal, and crazy age group! I have never laughed so hard in my life than with these guys!

2. Relying fully on Him

Moving to another country was scary! I clung to Jesus for dear life! But I loved learning how faithful He is and how important it is to rely on Him for everything. 

3. God cares for all nations

A highlight of my week was to attend German church. I loved knowing that God hears and understands every people group!

4. God provides for my needs 

Worrying is a struggle for me. It was hard to surrender my finances to God, but I really learned to trust God as He provided again and again even for the smallest needs. I have a new appreciation for Matthew 6:26.

5. The Body of Christ is a beautiful thing

When Laura had her accident, I didn’t know how I would get through it. I have a new understanding of the power of the Body of Christ to come along side you and hold you up in the most painful times. 

6. Cooking!

This is still a learning process, but I’m happy to say I’m not clueless in the kitchen anymore! So get ready for some Wienerschnitzel and Sauerkraut when I come home. 

7. Leading a small group

I learned it’s not about planning the best bible studies, having all the answers, and baking the best deserts. It’s about loving, cherishing, discipling, and living life with these girls. 

8. We all have a purpose

I really got to see so many of the moving parts in ministry while I was here. It was amazing to think that each person I met had a team of people behind them that I couldn’t see. Even if each person had 20 people behind them, that would easily be 2,000 people sharing in this ministry. And because of that team, missionary families can continue their ministries and bring others to Christ. Each part is a vital part of ministry. :)

9. Burnout is real

It is easy to get swept up into so many activities and service, but I got exhausted and burnt out quickly. I learned that I need to let God pour into me before I can start pouring into others. 

10. There’s no place like home :)

These 2 years could NOT have happened without you on my team. You all have all been so incredibly generous, encouraging, supportive, and hard core prayer warriors! Thank you for everything you have done for me! 

Here is a slideshow of pictures from the middle school (made by my awesome colleague!) . These goofballs really captured my heart!

Prayer Requests:

-Saying goodbyes and leaving well

-Transition back to the United States

-The next steps in my journey

See you all soon!

Sandra

April Update

Herbst in Deutschland

Please sit tight and get comfortable because there's a lot to catch up on. :)

#1 Impact Day

During our annual "Impact Day", we served the German community by baking 400 "American Style" snicker doodle cookies and delivering them to a local senior home.

Frau Hinton was especially proud of her students who practiced their German and made cards for the residents.

You can watch the a video of the entire school during Impact day here:

Post by Black Forest Academy.

#2 Fall Party

This year's theme was "Apps" (5 years ago that theme would not have existed) :)

Middle School Staff as "Fruit Ninjas":

#3 Trunk or Treat

Our trunk was Narnia themed:

#4 Herbstmesse (Fall Festival)

Annual school trip to Basel, Switzerland for Herbstmesse:

Some of my coworkers :)

#5 Musical

This year the musical was combined with middle school and high school students and they performed one of my all time favorites: High School Musical! They did awesome!

Video of students performing "We're All In This Together":

#6 French/German Rap Battle

The French class made the mistake of challenging the German class to a rap battle. They owned it.

Happy Fall!

On the Move

Walked next to Laura as we rounded the rehab ward. Thanking God for His healing hand :)

Experiential Learning Week

This week I had the privilege of leading 6th graders in a week outside of the classroom. Activities included serving the elementary school, visiting roman ruins, cooking and etiquette lessons, outdoor education, and a visit to an electricity museum. Here are some pictures of our week.

And to top it off, we had an our end of the year small group sleep over! :)

Spring Party: Disney themed

Mother's Day

Praising God for this "bomb mom" right here!

I am so thankful for my mom and the sacrifices she made for me and my 3 siblings. No one else has taught me more about loving and being generous to others as much as she has. :) I am so happy to celebrate her today!

I am also excited to celebrate another kid of mom:

Divorce is messy, hard, and it hurts everyone involved. I am so happy to say that what was intended for harm, God turned into something beautiful! I am also praising God for my "beauty" mom today!

Happy Mother's day!